Featured photos

Canada got the last hurrah at the Celebration of Light Saturday evening, closing the three-night event with a winning display. Canada was declared the winner of the event, with Brazil and China finishing second and third, respectively.

Travis Lulay ahead, Lions miles further along

B.C. Lions' Travis Lulay (14) signals to his bench during the first half of their CFL game against Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Winnipeg Friday, August 24, 2012.

Photograph by: John Woods
, THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER -- After eight games, Travis Lulay has six more passing yards and four more wins than he did this time last season. No wonder the quarterback doesn't understand the fuss about the B.C. Lions' offence.

Despite its erratic offensive execution and long, dull, ineffective stretches with the football in several games, the Lions packed the Canadian Football League's best record into their carry-ons when the team travelled Wednesday to Montreal for a Friday night showdown against Anthony Calvillo and the Montreal Alouettes.

Even at age 40, Calvillo is the quarterback against whom all others in the CFL are measured. The Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting is having another excellent season, leading the league with 2,657 passing yards while throwing for 18 touchdowns and six interceptions through eight games.

By contrast, the perception of Lulay is that he, like the Lions' talented offence, has struggled after destroying opposing defences during an autumn stampede to the Grey Cup.

But Lulay is actually slightly ahead where he was this time last year, and the Lions are miles further along. B.C. is 6-2, instead of 2-6. The Alouettes are 5-3 this season.

"At the end of the day, we're judged on wins and losses," Lulay said before heading east. "So we definitely feel good about being 6-2. But is there room for improvement? Sure, there is. We've got a lot of competitive guys on the offensive side of the ball and we wish we were scoring 40 points a game. We're not, but we are outscoring opponents. Our defence has been a huge part of winning football games. We're aware of that.

"What's clear is teams are playing us with a tonne of effort. They're playing good football against us. For the middle third of the season last year, we were probably surprising teams. But the end of the year, we weren't surprising teams and were still able to [dominate]. I think we need to be the aggressor because we're not sneaking up on anyone this year."

Only B.C.'s league-leading defence, surrendering points at a historically-low clip, has been dominant this year. Lulay and the offence has been, at best, average. There is nothing average about the lineup.

Lulay is the CFL's reigning Most Outstanding Player, coming off a 4,800-yard season. He hands the ball off to emerging Canadian star Andrew Harris, whose 6.3 yards per carry leads all rushers. The slotbacks, Arland Bruce and all-time CFL yardage leader Geroy Simon, have more than 25,000 yards between them in their careers. There is an excellent, athletic supporting cast of Canadian receivers, and the offensive line is strong and experienced.

So, average is not good enough - or at least it wouldn't be if the Lions were losing.

Neither Simon nor Bruce is among the CFL's top dozen receivers this season or on pace for 1,000 yards.

In last week's 20-17 last-play win against the last-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the B.C. offence got away with a lot of mistakes, including a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by Lulay that could have been game-changers. Calvillo and the Alouettes will not be so forgiving.

"We're pretty critical of ourselves every week," Lulay said. "It's not like we're sloughing those things off because we are winning. It's perceived a lot differently because we're winning, but I think we understand this is not OK. It doesn't make a mistake better because you win."

As with everything, nothing on the Lions is as black or white as it seems.

Despite its exasperating lapses, the offence is still the third most productive in the CFL, averaging 386.6 yards per game. League-leading Montreal averages 398.1. B.C. ranks first in rushing (908 yards) and sacks allowed (eight) and is second in first downs (154).

The Lions have been good, not great, but still look like the class of the league and favourites to become just the third team in 30 years to successfully defend its championship.

But they haven't exerted authority like the Lions who nearly ran the table last season from midsummer on, winning 12 of their last 13 games - only once by fewer than nine points.

As for Lulay, he had 2,107 passing yards this time last year, completing 54.8 per cent of his attempts while throwing 11 touchdowns against seven interceptions. After eight weeks this season, he has 2,113 yards, a 67.3-per cent completion rate, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

"I honestly don't know where I was statistically compared to Week 8 a year ago; I may well be better," Lulay said. "You do have to be realistic and understand the [second half of the season] was special. Do I think I can achieve it again? I absolutely do and that's what I'm trying to work toward every time I come out here.

"Just by nature of being the quarterback, you do feel responsible. You do feel you carry a lot of the load for moving the offence. But I understand it's a team game. Last year, I didn't do that by myself. I'm very aware of that. I've never lost a game solely by myself, either. I know Geroy feels a lot of [responsibility] for what we do. Arland feels it. All the veteran guys do.

"When I start to feel like I'm packing the weight of the world on my shoulders, I've got to break it down and understand I'm not getting anything done by myself. Whatever I do, it's with the guys around me. What I've got to focus on is my singular task on every play. That's how we'll make progress."

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.